Nickel-platinum alloy



Patented Jam13, i942 mcxnn rm'rmuuannor: Michel B.-Vilenaky, Newark. Ohio; ailignor to Owens-Corning Fiberglas ration of Delaware No Drawing.

Corporation, a corpo- Application August 26, 1940, Serial No. 354,248

A 4 Claims. -(CI. 75-170) The present invention relates to nickel-plat inum alloy compositions particularly designed for use in glass working apparatus. The alloy finds special use in feeder outlets such as illustrated and described in U. S. Patents 2,133,236; 2,133,238; 2,165,318 or British Patent 482,035. The invention also finds use in various forms of glass handling equipment such as for example as illustrated in U. S. patent to Weller 2,031,083, as well as various other'uses for high temperature metals .and alloys familiar in the art. One of the important objects is the provisionof an inexpenmay be increased. For ordinary commercial soda-lime-silicate or boro-silicate glasses an alloy of about 95% nickelfa'nd 5% platinum is highly satisfactory since it entails a minimum cost and ness, ductility; resistance and chemical durability.

Ordinarily from 5 to of platinum is prefer- Q able and amounts beyond 15% usually are unnecessary since theymerely increase the cost of the alloy without commensurate advantages.

I have found that in producing a high nickel- "platinum alloy which is malleable in hot and sive fundamentally base metal alloy suitable for use at the high temperatures and conditions usually requiring noble metal alloys and to thisv end I employ a high percentage nickel alloy. modifled with platinum in proportions heretofore considered impossible for working.

Another object of the present invention is to provide such an alloy having highchemical and physical stability at the high temperature which is required to melt any type of commercial glass and convert it into fibrous or other suitable form.

Another object of the invention is to produce an alloy having a low rate of oxidation when subjected to continuous action of heat.

Another object is to produce an alloy having hardness coupled with ductility suitable to working into desired form such as sheets, wires, rods etc. of exact dimensions .as required in glass feeders, especially for fibrous glass. In addition it is intended to produce an alloy which may be smoothly polished in order to reduce tov a minimum the friction and abrasion of the molten glass flowing thereover and other deleterious actions.

Still another object is to produce an alloy cold state, the addition of a small amount of de oxidizing agent added-to the alloy during the melting procedure is important. -Without a deoxidizing agent there is a tendency during the melting and pouring of the metal for the nickel to oxidize and form nickel oxide occlusions which cause cracking and weakening of the metal upon working, as for example drawing or rolling a wire or sheet, bending the same, etc.

To overcome this difiiculty I' may add during the melting a small amount of the deoxidizing agent in quantities sufflcient to reduce the nickel oxide formed and free the metal of oxygen.

For this purpose metallic manganese in percentages of about .5 to 2.0% is preferable because it renders the alloy less tender just after freezing, and thus aids in the production of ingots free from hot cracks. It also .increases fluidity -of the molten alloy and increases the resistance of the finished metal to oxidation. The manganese'dioxide comes off as a scum. It is generally desirable to add above the amount necessary to deoxidize the metal, a slight excess of manganese, say of 1%. This improves malleability and workability in the metal and increases temperature resistance. The preferable amount which may be very easily re-.worked, re-melted In order to achieve the objects of the invention I use a two or more component alloy, the

major portion of the alloy comprising nickel and sufiicient platinum to impart the desired physical and chemical-properties. The proportion of the ingredients may be varied within suitable limitations, ranging as follows:

Perce1lt Nickel from-75 to 99.5 Platinum from 25 to 0.5

If especially high temperature resistance is required the amount of platinum in the alloy of manganese added is about 1 Excessive quantities of manganese tend to form eutectoids and encounter other dimculties.

Other deoxidizing' agents may also be used as for example metallic titanium in amounts of about .03 to .1% of the total amount of alloy melted. Likewise small amounts of titanium and manganese may be used, the titanium ranging from .03 to 0.1% and the manganese ranging from 0.5 to 2%. Excessive amounts of titanium are to be avoided in order to avoid brittleness. Lithium may be used from .02 to 05% but ,this agent is dangerous and 'requires special skill in handling, and is harmful to the alloy in excessive quantities. Accordingly the additionof manga nese is to be preferred for the reasons stated above; The variations in the quantities of de oxidizing agents is of course dependent upon the amount of platinum present in the alloy. With large! amounts of platinum the smaller amounts of deoxidizing agents above noted,'are'required.

Other metals may be added to the alloy if deadequate properties of hardsired as for example a small amount of iridium for increased temperature resistance and hardness. However, on remelting some of the iridium may be lost by volatilization and the addition of iridium is costly.' Likewise a small amount of rhodium may be added to increase resistance to I there is a tendency for the nickel to oxidize preferentially forming a nickel-oxide film on the surface of the metal which coats it and prevents volatilization and consequent losses of platinum.

The present alloy is fundamentally a base metal alloy and yet partakes of the properties ot-expensive noble metal alloys which are far more costly and thus limited in their field of use.

Modifications and variations may be resorted to within the sphere and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An alloy comprising to 99.5% nickel, .5 to 25% platinum, and manganese in amounts of approximately .5 to. 2%.

2. An alloy preparedby melting and comprising 5 to 15% platinum, to nickel, and manganese in amounts greater by about 1% than required solely as'a deoxidizing agent;

- 3. An alloy prepared by melting and capable of being rolled and drawn, comprising 5 to 15% platinum, 85 to 95% nickel; and manganese in amounts 01' approximately 1.5%.

4. An alloy prepared by melting and comprising 75 to 99.5% nickel, .5 to 25% platinum, ti-

' tanium originally in amounts of from .03 to .l%

to act as a deoxidizing agent, and manganese in amounts of from about .5 to 2%.

MICHEL B. VILENSKY. 

